DISCLAIMER: Don't own Lupin, man. Sorry to disappoint you, but if this is where you're looking to obtain a copyright, you're out of luck.
Ya got me….
Someone recently asked if I was a Southerner, and, as a matter of fact, I am. Now if someone can guess the correct state, I'll be really freaked out. Any takers? I dunno, just having a bit of fun, I suppose. These introductions are usually the blandest parts of the story, so I'd figure I'd make them a little more interesting…. Feel free to give me any ideas, guys—At the rate of length this is at, anything's possible in here. Don't be afraid to review, either! I love them—It shows me that people actually read this!
'All the lonely people, where do they all
come from?
All the lonely people, where do they all
belong? '
--The Beatles, 'Eleanor Rigby'
Chapter Twenty Two
That following Sunday: The King of Wishful Thinking
"I just—I can't believe there'd even be a possibility, Lupin. I know that bastard's lying, but he's got me against the wall with the blood test. If I didn't get it, he would've gotten people to take Yukiko away," Jigen said as he and his friend drove early in the morning down a Paris road, "I friggin' hate needles, you know that? And Yukiko hates them even more. That bastard made my daughter cry."
"Jigen, don't worry. I'll take care of it, and everything'll be okay. Just don't worry your pretty little head off about it anymore, okay?" Lupin said confidently.
"I do, though. It's my friggin' kid we're talking, Lupin, not some sort of painting!" Jigen responded, "I worry. If it were you, you'd sure as hell be worried, too!"
"Do you think Sakura would've really cheated on you?" asked Lupin.
"Well, no, but—"
"There you go, then," Lupin nodded, "Now, why would this guy want to do something like this to you?"
"No idea in hell. All I know is he's an Italian from Chicago," Jigen answered.
"An Italian? From Chicago? Maybe he's a friend of your Old Man," Lupin suggested.
"Nah. I could tell he was younger than me," Jigen replied, shaking his head, "You know, it's almost creepy, how much he knows… Like he's been freaking following us! That, or he really is—I would never believe it, though! I, I mean, that's not the Sakura I knew…"
"I'll help you Jigen, don't worry. Just keep an eye on Yuki," Lupin answered as he pulled into their destination. Home. Fujiko, Amaya, and Ming, who all required certain necessities in the wee hours of the morning, had sent out the before daybreak had even given a thought to awakening. Lupin and Jigen walked into the home, and saw Amaya sitting at the computer, drinking from a cup of Ramen. She looked incredibly like her mother, yet she carried many of her father's traits—Fortunately.
She turned her head and smiled as she saw the duo, "Back so soon?"
"Yeah," Lupin answered vaguely as he set the white plastic bags down on the couch, "It's a quarter to six, and neither of the kids are crying…. What's up?"
"Come here," Amaya rose, and led both up the stairs. She stopped in front of the babies' room, and pointed towards it. Both Lupin and Jigen exchanged puzzled glances as they heard a higher-pitched singing, and both poked their heads in through the white doorframe quietly.
There Yukiko was, over inbetween the babies' cribs, singing to them with her hands in her pockets. She rocked back and forth on her bare feet as she sang.
Is my kind of town,
Chicago is,
Is my kind of town,
Chicago is,
My kind of razzmatazz,
And it has,
All that jazz
And each time I leave Chicago is
Tugging my sleeve--
© My Kind of Town, by Frank Sinatra. Used merely for enjoyment purposes.
Jigen was perhaps the most surprised by this out of anyone. He had recalled singing this once while working with Yukiko on one of the cars. She had perhaps only heard it once, but could remember it. There was only one other person he had known who could memorize a song with little or no effort. Yukiko's mother. Yukiko could sing, like her mother could.
Yukiko stopped, turned around, "Hi, Daddy. Hi, Lupin. I was just singing to Ari and Fuji. They like it. Good thing Mommy liked to sing."
"Lupin," Jigen looked over at Lupin, and muttered quietly, "I can't lose her."
"You won't," Lupin answered, "I've got a plan up here, Jigen, but you just have to keep your mind off of it for now, as hard as it'll be. You'll just scare Yuki if you act too frightened. You'll have to be brave for the both of you."
"Yeah," Jigen nodded, and walked over to Yukiko. He picked her up, and placed her on his shoulders, "Damn, you're getting a little big for this, Kid! C'mon, it's still early. Maybe we can get a few hours sleep in!"
"Why don't we go out to the lake by the house, Daddy?" asked Yukiko, "We can go fishing, or swimming…"
"Exercise? Before ten in the morning? Jesus, you're killing me…." Jigen muttered.
"All of the good fish are out early in the morning. You told me yourself."
"Okay, Yuki. You go get everything together, and I'll wait for you," said Jigen. He bent down, and lifted her off of his shoulders. She took off running towards the garage, nearly running into Goemon, who was in the doorway.
"She seems happy, all things considering," said Goemon.
"She knows better than to believe liars," Jigen answered.
"But do you?" Goemon asked, "That man seems to be playing upon your renowned paranoia," Goemon continued.
"Paranoia!? I'm not paranoid!" Jigen snapped.
"Are you sure?" Goemon asked with a smirk. He took a step towards Lupin, "Did you get Amaya's things?"
"Yeah," Lupin nodded, "It's downstairs. She'll be able to find it."
"Thanks," Goemon nodded, and turned to leave, "Oh, and Jigen…"
"Yeah?"
"Are you positive you aren't paranoid?" Goemon asked.
"Get the hell outta here!" Jigen snapped, pointing towards the exit. He shoved his hands in his pockets, and turned to Lupin, "Am I paranoid?"
"I refuse to play head games with you," Lupin answered calmly, "That's strictly Fujiko's field."
"Dad! I'm ready!" Yukiko called. Jigen lifted his hat upward, and walked out towards Yukiko. She stood there, two fishing poles in her hands and a tackle box at her feet, "Let's go!" she said. Jigen nodded, and picked up the tackle box. The two walked out, and stopped as they heard someone call after them from upstairs.
"What are you doing up so early!?" Ming called to the father and daughter.
"Fishing! You want to come?" Jigen called back.
"No, thanks. I hate nature," Ming answered, "See you guys later!"
"Bye!" Jigen answered, and turned back to Yukiko.
"I talked to Goemon this morning," Yukiko said quietly as the two walked down a dirt road towards the lake behind the estate property.
"Yeah? 'Bout what?" Jigen asked.
"About that guy who came to me a few days ago," Yukiko answered, "You—You don't think he'll hurt us, do you?"
Jigen looked down at her, and stopped. He kneeled down in front of her, and sighed, "Yukiko, listen… I lost over seven years with you…. I left you twice—Once because I didn't even know it and again because I thought I was doing the right thing at the time, but I know now that it was stupid… I'm not going to lose you again… I'd let him kill me before he took you."
"You don't mean that, do you?" Yukiko asked, taking a step back, "I wouldn't want him to hurt you, either! You've left me too many times already!" she cried, and ran into him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and Jigen sighed heavily, and picked up her fishing pole in his other arm. He continued walking down the path, now with Yukiko.
"I'm sorry I cry so much…" Yukiko said, wiping her eyes.
"No, don't worry about it. It's good to show feelings. If you become too cold, people think you're just a repressed homosexual," Jigen smirked. Yukiko laughed amongst her tears, and wiped her eyes again.
"When's that blood test coming in?" Yukiko asked him.
"About one. Don't worry, though. You and I both know the answer, don't we!?" Jigen smiled, and put her down as they reached the dock. Yukiko ran down the dock, Jigen walking in his usual slow stride. He jumped into the boat, and helped Yukiko in. She undid the rope, and Jigen rowed out to the middle of the lake, "I used to do this with my Old Man, you know that? I lived in New York for a little while when I was your age, and we'd go up out of the city and into the North for the weekends." Jigen opened the can of worms, and pierced the wriggling pink form through the hook.
Yukiko grimaced, and looked downward at her own hook, "Please do it for me. That's gross…"
"What? You can watch all of the gory movies with Ming, but one worm makes you sick!?" Jigen laughed, "Come here and pass it to me…" Yukiko passed him the hook, and he took a worm out from the can. She leaned back in the boat a little as she heard a sickening noise come from the worm. Jigen passed her the pole again, and she dunked it into the water.
Back at the House, a Few Hours Later:
"Okay, now who do you want me to find?" Amaya asked as she sat down in front of her computer.
"An Italian guy in Chicago," Lupin answered.
Amaya stopped typing on her computer, and turned back to Lupin, "And Italian guy in Chicago? Why don't I find you a Cuban in Miami or a Chinese in San Francisco while I'm at it?"
"I know, I know…" Lupin sighed, "How about living relatives of mobsters? Descendents of the originals…"
"Okay…." Amaya shrugged, "An Italian in Chicago…. Good God…" Amaya muttered, shaking her head as she continued typing.
"You got any leads, Amaya?" Lupin asked as he leaned inward towards Amaya's computer screen. In one arm was Fuji, who was currently enthralled by her father's necktie. She tugged on it several times, sending Lupin's head bobbing up and down, "Fuji!" Lupin chided, and pried her hands away from his tie. Fuji clapped, and reached out for a clump of Amaya's long black hair. Amaya jerked back a little, and gently moved her hand away.
"A couple," Amaya replied, "But you're asking me to find Chicago mobsters, Lupin! That's like most of the black market there!"
"Narrow it down to guys who could possibly be connected with the Capones," Lupin ordered.
"Dillinger…. Barrow… Diamond…. Capone… Valentine… Luciano… That's about all of them…."
"Well, see what you can do… He's got to be either Dillinger, Luciano, Valentine, Diamond, or Barrow…." Lupin said, walking away from Amaya. The phone rang, and Lupin ran towards it, "Hello!? Yeah, yeah…. Sure…. The results!? Great, well, I—What?…. What?…. Okay, thanks," he nodded, and hung up the phone, and turned back to Amaya.
"What's up?" Amaya inquired.
Back on the Boat:
"I think I got one!" Yukiko called to her father, "Here, help me reel it in!"
"All right… Damn, I think you got a big one!" Jigen laughed, and helped her reel the fish in. A large freshwater fish fell into the boat, and Yukiko screamed a little in surprise as it came close to her legs. She watched as it slowly stopped its flapping, and finally took its last breaths. Jigen smirked, and threw it into a wooden box full of water. The fish began to swim around in the box. Jigen closed the lid, and turned back to Yukiko, "Good one, kid!"
"Did Mommy like fishing with you?" Yukiko inquired.
Jigen looked downward at Yukiko in surprise. It was rare that Sakura came into their conversations anymore, "Yeah… She liked the outdoors…."
"Mommy mentioned how you two liked fishing. She talked about how much she liked gardening, but she never could, because you two were always moving around…" Yukiko answered. She gulped, and clutched onto something under her shirt, "She wanted me to give you something when I found you, besides the picture… But I held onto it, because it was the only other thing I had left of her.... Grandma took a lot of it, I know... She never liked me."
"Yeah, welcome to the club. She thought I was a bastard, too," Jigen responded, "What is it, though?"
"This," Yukiko pulled out a chain from under her shirt, and removed it. She put it in Jigen's hand, and he looked downward in surprise. He clutched the ring that was contained on the chain, and then opened it again. I had, at one time, belonged to his grandmother, and briefly owned by Ryoko Jigen. She, in turn, gave it to Jigen, before he left her. And he, finally, had given it to Sakura, and he had lost track of it ever since. But now, here it was again. His mother had told him that it was from Italy, and had been brought over from the family. It was small, with sapphires in it, and the age was undeterminable.
"I always wondered what happened to it…" he muttered, "Here," he leaned forward and fastened it around her neck again, "You keep it, Kid. It's not really my style."
"Are you sure?" Yukiko inquired.
"Positive, Yuki," Jigen answered, and turned his attention back towards fishing. A few hours passed in between the two quietly, with very little more conversation. Around two in the afternoon, the two heard the familiar sound of wooden sandals clicking along the gravel, and they saw Toshiro and Goemon wave towards the two from the shore. Jigen lifted his hit up, and he set his pole at his side in the boat. Yukiko did the same, and held on as Jigen rowed back to shore.
"Dad, what about the fish?" Yukiko inquired, opening the wooden box where there were now many fish flapping around.
"We have a bunch in the freezer. You let these little guys out. If not anything else, they'll learn a thing or two about taking food from strangers," Jigen answered. Yukiko nodded, and took a net from the boat, and scooped up some of the fish. One jumped out, and slapped her in the face, and she cursed at it as it splashed into the water.
"What's up, guys?" Jigen inquired.
"Lupin called for you," Goemon said.
"Well, I guess we better get going then. C'mon, Yuki, we'll get the poles and tackle box later," Jigen said, and led the little girl down the path. Goemon used crutches to walk down the path, and Toshiro walked closely at his brother's side. Toshiro was going to look nearly the same as his older brother; one could read it in his sharp features. The hairstyle was also a prominent factor in the likeness.
They returned to the home, and Lupin was in the doorway. He led them into the living room silently, and sat down on one of the couches, "Yukiko, go play a video game with Toshiro, okay?" Lupin said quietly.
Yukiko nodded, and watched as Amaya came into the living room briefly. She quickly averted her eyes from the young girl, and exited again. Toshiro led Yukiko up the stairs quietly, leaving Jigen, Lupin, and Goemon in the living room. Jigen watched as Fujiko walked over and embraced him briefly, and took a few steps back.
"Guys, what the hell's going on? Someone I know die?" Jigen inquired.
"They got the blood test…." Lupin started quietly.
"And?" Jigen leaned forward. He laughed, and sat back, "I know it! Dammitt, I ought to shoot that guy's ass for causing me all of that trouble! Ha, ha! I knew it! Damn, you have no idea how relieved Yuki will be!"
"Now wait a minute. I--Jigen, you're my best friend, and the last thing I want to see is you hurt. But, you know, I don't know how to say this, but…." Lupin trailed off, and avoided facial contact with Jigen. Jigen felt ill, suddenly, and sat there quietly, stilly.
"Jigen?" Goemon inquired.
"Jigen, are—Are you okay?" Lupin asked, leaning inward to his friend a little. He could not read Jigen's features, for they were covered by his fedora, "Jigen, say something. Anything. Please."
Jigen rose, and stood there silently a few moments, his head still tilted downward. He clenched both of his fists as well as his teeth, and all the pain to his jaw came rushing back to him. Jigen kicked the glass coffee table over, sending it flying into the couch. Fujiko screamed and jumped out of the way, and ran into an equally stunned Lupin's arms. Goemon ducked under the couch as Jigen pried a painting from the wall and flung it across the room and through a glass china cabinet.
"Is that sayin' a freaking 'nough!?" Jigen snapped as he walked up the stairs and into his bedroom.
Goemon lifted his head above the couch, and looked behind him, "Glad he took it so well…"
Lupin shook his head, and slowly pushed Fujiko away from him, "I'm sorry. I just can't believe it…"
"FINE! WELL, SCREW YOU!" Ming shrieked from upstairs, and slammed the bedroom door. She ran down the stairway, and into the living room. She stopped dead as she viewed the chaos around her, "What the hell happened?"
"Something screwy's goin' on…" Lupin replied quietly, "All right, anyone who isn't pregnant, crawling, or disabled come with me…"
"I will," they heard. All turned to see Yukiko standing in the doorway, Toshiro next to her, "I don't care what those damned tests saw. That's my daddy…" she added.
"And I'm going to, in your place, Goemon," Toshiro added, clutching onto his sword.
"Guys, I…" Lupin took a few steps forward, and leaned downward, "I don't think it's your fight…"
"It is!" Yukiko yelled, "He upset everyone! That guy! And we'll make him pay, right!?"
"Listen, it's a job for me and, although I hate to say this…. Zenigata," Lupin grimaced.
